Artwork
The Truants
The Truants is an oil painting by the American Impressionist artist Eastman Johnson. It dates from 1870 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
- Inscription
- Inscribed:lower right: E. J.
About this work
Technique & Style
The Truants is an oil painting executed on academy board, measuring 59.
The Truants is an oil painting executed on academy board, measuring 59.37 cm in height by 68.58 cm in width. The work depicts a group of children in a rural setting rendered with Johnson's characteristic naturalistic brushwork and careful attention to light and gesture. Its surface shows the texture of the board support, and the handling reveals a smooth, blended application typical of late nineteenth-century American genre painting.
History & Provenance
The Truants was painted by Eastman Johnson in 1870, an oil on academy board (cardboard) measuring 59.37 by 68.58 centimeters. It is currently held by the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., which acquired it in 2014 from the Corcoran Gallery of Art.
The painting entered the artist's estate after his death and was sold at the American Art Galleries in New York on 26–27 February 1907 as lot 129. It subsequently passed to Mrs. E. W. McMahon of Pelham, New York, and was purchased by Hirschl & Adler Galleries in May 1962. Hirschl & Adler sold the work to the Corcoran Gallery of Art on 27 March 1963, where it remained until its transfer to the National Gallery of Art in 2014. No exhibition history beyond these documented provenance transactions is recorded in the available sources.
Overview
Eastman Johnson’s oil work titled The Truants, executed around 1870, depicts a quiet winter tableau. A massive, brown trunk of a hollow tree dominates the composition, its cavity serving as a modest shelter for two figures. The scene is set against a muted, snowy landscape, with a pair of barrels and assorted tools positioned nearby, suggesting a pause in labor.
Subject & Meaning
Inside the tree’s hollow, the two individuals, clad in heavy winter garments, appear to be taking a brief respite from outdoor work. Their seated posture and the presence of utilitarian objects outside the shelter hint at a moment of rest amid the hardships of a cold season, emphasizing themes of endurance and temporary refuge.
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Artist & collection
Artist
Jonathan Eastman Johnson (July 29, 1824 – April 5, 1906) was an American painter and co-founder of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York City, with his name inscribed at its entrance.
